The roller shade is a well known window covering which consists of a roller about which a window covering material is wound. The window covering material typically is a vinyl or non-woven fabric, film or coated fabric where vinyl is the most common film and coating. Typically the material has been coated to provide strength to the material. Coating provides stiffness, uniform thickness and reduces stretching and edge curl. Without the coating most materials that could be used in a drape or Roman shade will stretch in the middle when fully lowered creating an hour glass appearance to the shade. Because of the coating the hand and style of fabrics is limited. Furthermore, roller shade fabrics are so specialized that they cannot be used for drapes or soft Romans.
The material used for roller shades is typically purchased by the fabricator in large rolls. A sufficient amount of material is drawn off the roll to create a shade of a desired length. If the width of the material from the roll is greater than the desired width of the shade to be manufactured the material is trimmed while or after being removed from the roll of fabric. There are many costs and problems associated with this method of making roller shades. First, the fabricator must store large rolls of material. Each roll must be hung on an axle which is stored in a rack to prevent damage to the material. If the roll is laid length wise on a flat surface over time the material will flatten over the contact area distorting the material. If the roll is stored on end and it tips the edge of the material can be damaged. Another problem with this method of manufacture is that a significant amount of waste is often created during the manufacturing process. Most windows are 3 feet, 4 feet or 6 feet in width. Consequently, a roller shade fabricator may purchase window shade material in 6 foot rolls. In the event that the fabricator receives an order for a roller shade 4 feet in width he would then have to trim 2 feet from the roll of the material which would be scrap. There is also a practical limit to the width of material which can be purchased in rolls and the storage of remnants.
Another problem with this method of manufacture is that the fabricator must have a table wide enough and long enough to handle the largest shade which the fabricator will make. Consequently, fabrication space and inventory and handling are large and difficult.
For all these reasons there is a need for a method of manufacture of roller shades which has less scrap and can make wider roller shades than the conventional practice in making roller shades. The method should use less space and require less inventory, reduce fabrication and handling costs and enable a greater variety of fabrics to be used including fabrics that can also be used for other products.